


Dead Men Stalking

by Script_Savage



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: AU, BAMF Keyblade Wielders, Emotional Conflict, Epic, F/M, Heartless - Freeform, Kairi/Sora - Freeform, Kairi/Vanitas - Freeform, Keyblades, PTSD, Riku/Yuffie - Freeform, Roxas/Namine - Freeform, Slow Burn, Surprise Kissing, surprise twist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2016-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-10 11:10:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5583601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Script_Savage/pseuds/Script_Savage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Disclaimer: I own nothing.</p>
<p>Okay guys...I'm going out on a limb here with this one. The whole High School AU thing has been done a lot with the Kingdom Hearts universe, but I think it works. I'm going to try to be original—but I'm not making any promises; as I'm sure you all know, that's pretty hard to do in this fanverse...</p>
<p>Anyways, I hope you all enjoy Dead Men Stalking! It's written completely from Kairi's POV, and I'm hoping that I don't screw it up too badly, being a guy and all. If I get enough support, I'll write the companion fic from Sora's POV.</p>
<p>I apologize for the tense-change in the beginning, the story will be written in First-Person; Present-Tense, but I need to use past tense to establish the backstory.</p>
<p>Here we go!</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Prodigy

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> Okay guys...I'm going out on a limb here with this one. The whole High School AU thing has been done a lot with the Kingdom Hearts universe, but I think it works. I'm going to try to be original—but I'm not making any promises; as I'm sure you all know, that's pretty hard to do in this fanverse...
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoy Dead Men Stalking! It's written completely from Kairi's POV, and I'm hoping that I don't screw it up too badly, being a guy and all. If I get enough support, I'll write the companion fic from Sora's POV.
> 
> I apologize for the tense-change in the beginning, the story will be written in First-Person; Present-Tense, but I need to use past tense to establish the backstory.
> 
> Here we go!

_ _

My name is Kairi Grimm.

I hate the dark. And thunderstorms.

Most people would think that those are pretty childish things to be afraid of; and maybe they're right.

But that doesn't change how I feel about them.

I don't like the dark because, well, something bad happened to me in the dark. I can't remember what it was or how it all started...But sometimes, when I close my eyes, I get flashes of things, bright yellow eyes, sharp teeth, and claws like razor blades.

I couldn't tell you what they were if my life depended on it, but they haunt me, stalking the fringes of my nightmares, lurking at the edges of my consciousness.

But dreams can't hurt me—at least that's what I've been told for the past seventeen years of my life, and I've had no experience to prove otherwise.

In any case, the thought of those horrible creatures is enough to propel me out of bed and into the shower so I can get ready for the first day of my senior year of High School. I'm not terribly excited though, after eleven years of the same old monotony, year twelve is probably going to be pretty run-of-the-mill.

Traverse Town High School is an nice place; the people are friendly and the teachers seem to genuinely care about the students.

But it isn't home.

I can remember home just fine—the empty hole in my memories has swallowed up my recollection of the events that brought me to Traverse Town.

I never really wanted to move from the picture-perfect beachside community of Destiny Islands to the hustle-and-bustle of a big city like Traverse Town. I'm just not wired to live in a place like this.

Destiny Islands was a picturesque little community by the Sea of Destiny, spread across a chain of islands. It was the kind of small town where everybody knew their neighbors as well as their own families, and we all stuck by each other when the going got tough.

My particular circle of friends was no exception. We were family in every sense of the word except blood relations.

Sora was my favorite. He had the deepest blue eyes in the world, and his chocolate brown hair was determined to defy gravity—no matter how much gel and grease he slathered it with. He was always in a good mood, always goofing off or telling a bad joke, and he was the first to comfort me if I was upset about something.

Riku was like our surrogate big brother. He was less happy-go-lucky than Sora—he was more the strong and silent type. He was the epitome of _cool kid_ , a lot of the girls on the islands swooned at the thought of his silver hair and aquamarine eyes. More often than not, he was the voice of reason when the rest of us wanted to do something stupid, and he never hesitated to defend any of us if we got made fun of by the other kids. Riku was the strongest out of our little group, and whenever Sora wasn't making us groan with his terrible jokes, he was usually sparring with Riku with the wooden swords the two of them played with.

Naminé was the only other girl in our group, and the two of us were like sisters. She was introverted and artistic and spent most of her time drawing. She was really talented—I wouldn't be at all surprised if to find out that she's a professional graphic design artist today. She also had a gift for being able to remember absolutely everything about her life. It came in handy sometimes, but other times it was sort of creepy.

Roxas was closer to Naminé than the rest of us and the most somber out of our group of five. He was moody and kind of a loner, but when he loosened up and quit brooding he was actually a lot of fun to be around. Roxas and Riku were pretty much evenly matched when it came to their little sparring matches—Roxas used two swords, which helped him defend himself against Riku's brute strength, but Riku still won most of the time.

Roxas and Naminé both moved away to Twilight Town when I was ten, and we stayed in touch for a while, but then we drifted apart like most friends do, caught up in life and then new responsibilities that come with growing up.

Sora, Riku, and I were closer than ever after they left; most of the time, I ended up patching the boys up after they sparred, or being the voice of reason when they decided to do something crazy. I remember trying to build a raft with them when I turned fourteen...

And that's where the hole in my memory is. I do know, however, that I haven't heard from either of them for three years.

That knowledge brings a tear to my eye, and I swipe it away before I really start crying, forcing myself out of bed and into the shower—I'll miss the bus if I don't hurry. I spend too much time picking out an outfit for school—first impressions are lasting impressions, after all—and I barely have time to wolf down two Pop-Tarts and a glass of milk before running out the door.

I live close enough to the school to walk, but because of being late, I'm running full-tilt in order to get there on time.

Stupid laziness.

I'm so focused on not being late on the first day, that I plow into a small blonde girl—I don't even see her until it's too late to stop. The fact that I'm a klutz doesn't help either.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry." My face is burning so hot that I'm sure the local fire company has been alerted. _Way to go Grimm._

The tiny blonde girl chuckles. "No worries..."

"Kairi." I tell her.

"I had a friend named Kairi," she says, as she dusts herself off. "I'm Naminé."

I look at her—it's been seven years since I last saw her, but it's definitely Naminé. "Nami!" And then I'm hugging her, trying to make up for five years' worth of no communication.

Naminé giggles, but hugs me back. "I almost didn't recognize you! What are you doing here? I thought you'd still be in Destiny Islands."

"We moved," I tell her, embarrassed for the first time that I can't remember the reason why.

Naminé nods, flipping her platinum blonde hair over one shoulder. "So did Roxas and I. Heartless took over Twilight Town, and this was the only place left to go."

_Heartless_.

Why does that name sound so familiar?

The bell rings before I have a chance to ask her what she's taking about, and then it's off to class.

Naminé and I compare schedules as we hurry to homeroom, and I'm thrilled to find out that they're an exact match—at least I'll know _someone_ at the start of the school year.

The entire homeroom period is spent explaining the rules, and the entire pre-lunch block of time, isn't much better, even if it does give me plenty of time to wonder why I haven't run into Naminé before this.

"So...I've been at this school for three years. How come we haven't run into each other before?" I ask her as we head to the cafeteria for lunch.

"I home-schooled for ninth and tenth, and I took independent study in eleventh grade—I wanted to finish my graphic design portfolio so I could submit it to the Wonderland School for the Arts. That's where I want to go to college." Naminé explained. "I only came back for the graduation ceremony...Plus, you know, prom."

I nod. "I'm glad you came back though. I was beginning to worry that I'd never see you guys again." I throw in a chuckle, so she doesn't know just how firmly I'd believed that until this morning.

"Well, you're in luck kiddo," Naminé says cryptically as we step into the cafeteria.

The cafeteria looks the same as it does every year; the same cliques are at the same tables, eating the same food, with the same people.

It's vanilla.

Uniform.

Boring.

At least until I catch sight of the three boys in black across the cafeteria. I've never seen _them_ before either...So why do they all look so familiar?

Their style isn't quite goth, but they stand out more than anyone, with their black gauntlets and fingerless gloves. They're dressed pretty much the same: black t-shirt with a strange silver logo on the chest and left sleeve, black cargo pants, and combat boots.

The similarities end there. The tallest boy has shoulder-length silver hair and piercing aqua eyes, and he's more muscular than the other two.

The second boy has spiky blonde hair that pokes out from underneath his hat, a silver ring in one ear, and a somber blue gaze.

The last boy is heartbreakingly familiar, with his head of chocolate brown spikes, and the deepest blue eyes I've ever seen. His lips are pressed together in a hard, grim line and even though he's shorter than the silver-haired guy, his folded arms and ramrod-straight posture make him infinitely more intimidating.

"Who are _they_?" I wonder. I'm not really expecting Naminé to know the answer, so I'm surprised when she pipes up.

" _Those_ are the Wielders. They keep the city safe from the Heartless. The tall, silver-haired one is Riku, the one with the hat is my boyfriend, Roxas, and the dark-haired one is Sora."

My mouth drops open and I have to shut it before I start catching flies. "Oh." _Way to be articulate Kairi._

"They're all really nice, but we probably won't get to talk to them until after school; We're going out for ice-cream. Want to come?"

"Sure," I answer. It's not like I have anything better to do, and I'd really like to find out what Sora and the gang have been up to all this time.

Especially Sora.

He's definitely matured over the years; the Sora I remember couldn't stand still to save his life, he was kind of baby-faced, and he was always smiling.

_This_ Sora has hard, angular facial features, and I can tell he works out a lot, even though he's not quite as muscular as Riku. The way he stands says that he knows how to handle himself—the Sora I knew was kind of a klutz.

_When did he get so...cute?_ I wonder, my cheeks smoldering at the thought.

Unfortunately, Naminé is right, and we don't have time to talk to them during lunch.

Bummer.

On the plus side, I have my last class of the day with Naminé, the Wielders, and Riku's girlfriend, Yuffie, who's a master of ninjitsu, and extremely hyperactive.

Sora lays something on my desk when he passes. "Thanks."

I look down, at the small thassala shell charm and immediately recognize my own handiwork.

"It kept me safe like you said it would. Maybe it''ll do the same for you." His voice is deeper and huskier than I remember it being, not that that's a bad thing. His posture is rigid and stiff, and his face looks almost angry as he looks down at me

"Um...You're welcome." I'm a little confused by his attitude change, but I play along, trying not to let on that I have no clue what he's talking about.

The last period of the day is free study, and I spend it looking at Sora over my book, and he spends it glaring right back at me, which makes me a little nervous to be honest.

The bell rings sooner than I expect it to, startling me. I grab my things and head out the door with Naminé and the rest of our group. It's so nice to be back with everyone again, it'll be just like old times.

"So, who's up for ice cream?" Naminé wonders.

Everyone except Sora replies in the affirmative.

"Sora? Aren't you coming?" Naminé continues.

Sora spears me with a particularly venomous glare when he answers Naminé. "No."

"Why not?" I ask, more out of reflex than anything else.

"Because, it's not safe for you to be around me." Sora snaps, and stalks off, leaving me more confused than ever.


	2. Scattered Dream, or Far-Off Memory?

My ice-cream melts before I have a chance to eat it.

Roxas, Riku, and Yuffie left almost immediately after we arrived for _urgent business_ , whatever that means.

Now it's just me and Naminé.

I stare off into space, my gaze boring holes in the wall as I wonder what on earth I could've done to make Sora so angry with me.

His absence is crushing.

The sting of his rejection is worse than any physical blow; my brain is feverish, mad with disarray as I wonder: _Why?_

The beginnings of tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so... _sudden_.

I had just started to give up hope that Sora and Riku were still out there somewhere, still alive.

And now, as soon as I begin to hope that we might be able to be friends again after all these years, my hopes are dashed to pieces in front of me.

Naminé snaps her fingers and brings me back to the world called _here_ and a place called _now_ before I lose it and start bawling, which is a good thing...I think.

"It's melting..." Naminé motions to the blue sludge in the plastic bowl—the remains of my sea-salt ice-cream.

I push the bowl away. I'm hungry for answers, not for ice-cream. "Sorry. I'm just not hungry." I hope she'll leave me alone, that she won't see through my pretense of normalcy and ask what's up with me.

"You okay?" Naminé is too perceptive for my liking—or maybe it really _is_ that obvious that something's bothering me.

"Fine." _Drop it, please._ If I have to talk about it, I'm going to cry; if I start crying, I might not be able to stop.

Naminé reaches across the table and pats my hand. "I'm here if you need me, alright Kai?"

I force myself to smile. "Thanks." I take a deep breath and shove back from the table. "I should go."

Naminé's lips quirk into a frown. "Okay...See you tomorrow, right?" she pulls a gel pen from behind her ear and scribbles her phone number on a napkin. "Just in case." the blonde girl says, sliding it across the table.

"Right." My face is beginning to hurt from all this fake smiling—I don't know how much longer I can keep up the charade. "Thanks." I tuck the napkin into my purse and beat a hasty retreat.  
I at least manage to leave the ice-cream parlor before the tears spill over.

_What did I ever do to him?_

The tears are dripping off my chin by the time I arrive on my street, and I'm sure I look like a train wreck. I swipe my the back of my arm across my face, dashing at the tears and the snot and the pain.

I force myself to smile again, and it's a hollow, empty thing.

"How was your first day?" My mother asks as I trudge into the house.

"It was great!" I say, forcing an enthusiasm I don't feel into my voice. Maybe if I play it right, Mom will think these are tears of happiness rather than tears of misery.

"Are you sure? You look like you've been crying, sweetheart..."

"Oh! Yeah, I went out for ice-cream with some old friends after school. They're just as crazy as when we were kids." I choked out a laugh.

I don't say: _I don't know my friends anymore._

I don't say: _My best friend hates my guts, and I have no idea why._

I don't say: _And I think I'm dying a little as we speak._

I say: "I had a blast!"

Mom grins. "I'm glad you had fun, Kairi."

I nod. "Well, I'm going to go pick out an outfit for school tomorrow."

"Do you want some help?"

My brain says: _No, because I'm really going upstairs to bawl my eyes out, and it wouldn't really be a productive cry if you're trying to comfort me the whole time..._ But my mouth thinks differently.

"Nah, I'll be fine." And then I'm headed up the stairs. I lock my bedroom door behind me and collapse onto the bed, the tears spilling over in earnest now.

_Why...Why do you hate me, Sora?_

You see, that's the problem with the truth.

It's the truth.

Yes you can stretch it, bend it, and even break it.

You can mangle it so badly that even it's mother wouldn't recognize it.

But, it doesn't matter how good you are at playing things close to the vest, nor how tangled your web of mutilated facts and twisted words.

Because no matter how good you are at lying, you can never lie to youself.

You can fool yourself, yes.

But you can never _lie_ to yourself.

Because you know.

The truth is still buried there, festering under the carcasses and broken remains for the foul speech and untruths you've covered it with.

And that's what makes it so much worse; Sora _must_ hate me.

He _has_ to.

No _friend_ would ever be that cold.

The river of tears shows no sign of letting up, so I just let them go.

After what feels like an eternity, I've finally cried myself out, and I drift into the comfortable oblivion of sleep.

_*****DMS***** _

_"So...What do you think we'll find out there?" Sora wants to know, scooting a little closer to me as we sit on the bent trunk of the Paopu tree._

_Riku just_ exudes _cool, leaning against the tree with his arms folded. "Who knows?" He says. "There could be whole other cities and towns and things over the horizon."_

_I nod. I want to believe him, because the prospect of adventure makes me feel alive, but to be honest, I don't really care what we do as long as I'm with them. I rest my head on Sora's shoulder, thinking that I might be starting to like-like him, and then I'm confused about how I should feel about that. I smile softly as he slips an arm around my shoulders._

_I feel warm._

_Safe._

_Happy._

_"But, how far could a raft take us?" I wonder. I mean, if we're talking about visiting whole other civilizations, we might need a bigger boat..._

_"I don't know," Riku admits, but his confidence doesn't waver at all. "If we have to, we'll think of something else."_

_"So, suppose we discover another civilization, or another city. What are we going to do there?" I wonder, sinking my teeth into this fantasy that we'll be famous explorers and end up discovering some ancient ruins or something._

_In reality, I know a raft can't take us all that far, but hey, a girl can dream._

_Riku is quiet for a moment. "Well, I haven't really thought about it." he confesses. "It's just that I've always wondered: if there are other civilizations out there, how did we end up in this one? And suppose there are other civilizations...Then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So, we could've just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?"_

_That's deep._

_Way deeper than I would expect Riku to go; and he's pretty philosophical sometimes to begin with._

_Sora's response sums up everything I'm thinking in three words:_

_"I don't know."_

_"Exactly." Riku continues like that's the response he expected all along—maybe it was. "That's why we need to get out there and find out. Just sitting here isn't going to change a thing. So let's go."_

_"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?" I observe, knowing I'm right, because there's no_ way _Riku just spouted all that off the top of his head._

_Riku scratches the back of his head absently. "I guess I have." He makes a face, almost like he's embarrassed and then heads back across the bridge. "See you guys tomorrow."_

_And suddenly, it's awkward, being this close to Sora—which is odd, because it's never been before._

_I'm hot._

_Too hot._

_Too hot and too close to Sora, and suddenly, all I can think about is being away from him, just long enough to catch my breath._

_"I'll see you tomorrow, Sora." I slip my head off his shoulder and shuffle down to the dock where the boats are tied. Just as I'm about to step into mine and start rowing back to the mainland, I realize that I don't want to leave him here alone, because I'm worried that he'll fall asleep, and then his mom will be worried sick about him, and then we won't be able to hang out for a while, because he'll end up grounded._

_I'll go nuts if that happens._

_Riku is fun and all, but Sora's my favorite._

_I don't know what I would do without him; I feel like I can tell him anything, like he'll accept me for me, just because he's a good person like that._

_And, he's also incredibly absent-minded sometimes, and after all our hard work today, I wouldn't put it past him to fall asleep here._

_I decide to wait for him, and sit down on the dock, with my legs dangling over the edge._

_*****DMS***** _

The sense of deja vu that grips me when I wake is incredible—I can almost taste the reality of the dream.

But in the end, that's all it is.

A dream.

Fantasy.

A construction of my imagination.

So why does it feel so familiar?

 

**Author's Note:**

> Like it? Hate it? Let me know!
> 
> Yeah, I know Sora's OOC, but I like writing this version of him, and I hope you all will grow to like it over the course of the fic. Remember, comments make me type faster! *hint hint*


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